New Local Release: Tears of Joy's Fat Money Summer

Each of the four songs on Tears of Joy’s Fat Money Summer boasts a minimalist pop-rock sound centered around smart, tasteful drums and catchy clean riffs. The sound may be simple, but emotional music doesn’t always require bells and whistles. On Fat Money Summer, the band questions bad habits and the nature of existence, such as on “The Weeds,” when the guitarist and vocalist asks, “What will I learn in my time on earth before they bury all my bones in the dirt?”

The EP’s opener, “Liquor Store,” is a slower, melancholy number that pushes back against liquor and cocaine and people that make you feel used. “The Weeds” has a happy sound, but its lyrics evoke a sense of existential uneasiness about the eerie monotony of wholesome, Christian suburban existence. “Calculus” ends the album on a note of romantic longing. Among its bouncy drums is a minor-key riff that recalls the feeling of standing up against the wall alone during the slow-dance portion of prom.